Seat position sensing device for use in occupant restraint

• US 6,854,782 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Reichert, Adam, Nathan, John F., Hein, David Anthony, Sims, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/248,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 296/68.1, 297/216.11, 318/286, 280/735, 280/734, 248/430, 340/572.1, 340/425.5
• US Class Current: 296/65.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/06 slidable B60N2/12 , B60N2/2209 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A seat position sensing device for use in a deployable passenger restraint system for an automotive vehicle has a Hall Effect sensor and a magnetic actuator sensor target facing each other and mounted in corresponding rails used to mount the vehicle seat to the vehicle said rails in moveable relationship to each other. Said seat position sensing device not requiring special hardware to be mounted in external to said seat rails.

Claims

1. A deployable passenger restraint system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

an occupant seat 1, mounted on a substantially parallel pair of seat tracks for adjustable movement in at least a longitudinal direction 3, each seat tracks comprising a stationary guide rail 20 mounted to the vehicle floor 8, having a plastic slide 33 attached thereto, attached in a slidable relationship with a moveable support rail 30;

a deployable restraint 7;

a deployable mechanism 6 for deploying the restraint 7;

a deployable restraint processor means 5 for receiving and processing a plurality of restraint deployment signals and for controlling the deployment mechanism 6; and

a seat position sensor comprising;

a pair of stationary guide rails 20 each having a plastic slide 33 mounted thereon;

a Hall Effect sensor 22 mounted on at least one of said plastic slides 33 mounted on said guide rails 20 for sensing the presence of a magnetic sensor target 32 and relaying a signal representative of seat position to the deployable restraint processor means 5, and said Hall Effect sensor 22 pointing upward toward;

a magnetic sensor target 32 mounted along a predetermined length of at least one of said support rails 30 corresponding to the guide rail 20 having the Hall Effect sensor 22 mounted thereon, and pointing downward toward said Hall Effect sensor 22, said stationary guide rail 20 fixedly mounted to the automotive vehicle.

2. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the magnetic sensor target 32 is mounted on the front end of said support rail 30 and extends toward the middle of the support rail 30.

3. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, the predetermined length represents that seat travel distance placing the occupant closer than eight inches from the deployable restraint 7.

4. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, there is a single Hall Effect sensor 22 and corresponding magnetic sensor target 32 mounted on a single seat track.

5. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, there is more than one Hall Effect sensor 22 and one corresponding magnetic sensor target 32 mounted on a single seat track.

6. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said magnetic sensor target 32 is the ferromagnetic metal of said support rail 30.

7. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said magnetic sensor target 32 is a magnet.

8. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said magnetic sensor target 32 is a magnetic field creating composition.

9. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said substantially parallel pair of seat tracks is mounted in a substantially horizontal position.

10. The deployable passenger restraint system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said substantially parallel pair of seat tracks is mounted in a substantially vertical position.